, was called the Vacciprata. Lucius Papirius
having set out to oppose him whilst devastating extensively the
districts of Setia, Norba, and Cora, posted himself at no great distance
from his camp. Vitruvius neither adopted the prudent resolution to
enclose himself with his trenches against an enemy his superior in
strength, nor had he sufficient courage to engage at any great distance
from his camp. When his army had scarcely got out of the gate of the
camp, and his soldiers were looking backwards to flight rather than to
battle or the enemy, he enters on an engagement without judgment or
boldness; and as he was conquered by a very slight effort and
unequivocally, so did he by the very shortness of the distance, and by
the facility of his retreat into the camp so near at hand, protect his
soldiers without difficulty from much loss; and scarcely were any slain
in the engagement itself, and but few in the confusion of the flight in
the rear, whilst they were making their way into the camp; and as soon
as it was dark they repaired to Privernum in trepidation, so that they
might protect themselves rather by walls than by a rampart. Plautius,
the other consul, after laying waste the lands in every direction and
driving off the spoil, leads his army into the Fundanian territory. The
senate of the Fundanians met him as he was entering their borders; they
declare that "they had not come to intercede in behalf of Vitruvius or
those who followed his faction, but in behalf of the people of Fundi,
whose exemption from any blame in the war had been proved by Vitruvius
himself, when he made Privernum his place of retreat, and not his native
country, Fundi. At Privernum, therefore, the enemies of the Roman people
were to be looked for, and punished, who revolted at the same time from
the Fundanians and the Romans, unmindful of both countries. That the
Fundanians were at peace, that they had Roman feelings and a grateful
recollection of the political rights received. They entreated the consul
to withhold war from an inoffensive people; their lands, city, their own
bodies and those of their wives and children, were, and ever should be,
at the disposal of the Roman people." The consul, having commended the
Fundanians, and despatched letters to Rome that the Fundanians had
preserved their allegiance, turned his march to Privernum. Claudius
states, that the consul first punished those who were at the head of the
conspiracy; that three hundre